By Kyra Allesandrini
Florida A&M University is welcoming a new Rattler to its menâs basketball team. Shaqir OâNeal, the legendary NBA starShaquille OâNeal, will be joining the team next season.
âShaqir has played in one of the premier programs in our conference and for a great head coach,â FAMU head coach Patrick Crarey II said, according to The Tallahassee Democrat. âHe brings versatility, athleticism, and experience to our team. Iâm excited he chose me to help him achieve his goals.â
Currently, the 21-year-old is a rising junior and completed his first three years of college at Texas Southern University, where he averaged 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in 8.5 minutes. He participated in the 2022 and 2023 SWAC Tournament Championship with the university.
Experts are expecting him to produce good results.
âOne of the new guys that weâre really happy and excited about is Shaqir OâNeal,â TSU head coach Johnny Jones said, according to HBCU Gameday. âI think people that hadnât had an opportunity to see his offseason workouts â I think heâs done an awesome job in transitioning in the last two years and weâre looking forward to him making an impact with us and for us as well.â
The basketball player isnât the only member of his family to attend FAMU. His aunt, Ayesha Harrison-Jex, graduated with a degree in business administration. She died of cancer in 2019.
OâNealâs sister MeâArah has also been pursuing a collegiate career in basketball. She enrolled at the University of Florida and joined the Gators last November.